WESTERN BUREAU – When 37 year-old Wilton Earle collected the keys to his newly-constructed two-bedroom house from Dr Lisa Lawrence, the national director of Habitat for Humanity Jamaica (HFHJ), he could hardly contain himself.

Earle had long wanted to become a homeowner but never thought he would ever be able to afford his own home.

So when he and his wife Andrine gathered at Davis Pen in Trelawny, with relatives and community members who came to share in the handing-over ceremony last Saturday night, he was overjoyed.

“I can hardly express how I feel; I am really, really, thankful,” Wilton said shortly after receiving his keys and a Bible.

In handing over the keys, Dr Lawrence congratulated the Earles and urged residents in the community to become involved in the HFHJ programme.

Earle is one of the more than 100 persons in the island who have benefited under the Habitat For Humanity housing project since it was established in Jamaica 12 years ago.

The organisation is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, headquartered in Georgia, USA, with operations in more than 100 countries.

According to Dr Lawrence, the Jamaican chapter has so far completed 101 houses since it started its housing project in 1994. “Twenty-two houses are now under construction and we plan to complete at least 100 by the end of June next year,” she added.

Habitat for Humanity is a not-for-profit Christian organisation.

In order to qualify for a housing benefit, a family member must contribute at least 300 sweat equity hours (voluntary service) and must be earning between $12,000 to $30,000 monthly.

Dr Lawrence stressed, however, that applicants for housing assistance must show that they are in need.

“Persons must establish a need. For example, if you have a house you cannot come to us, and if you have the ability to go to a building society or a bank you don’t come to us,” she explained.

Successful applicants, Lawrence said, are usually given an interest-free mortgage, which is repayable over a 10-year period.

Habitat for Humanity Jamaica is funded by its parent body, as well as a number of affiliate groups and the private sector.

Over the past year MoneyGram International, for example, has contributed US$222,000 to assist in the organisation’s housing project.

MoneyGram’s Caribbean regional manager Steve Higgins said his company plans to make further contributions next year.

“MoneyGram is pleased to be involved with Habitat for Humanity and we are going to give them more assistance next year because the group has quite a good track record in delivering homes,” Higgins told the Observer at the handing-over ceremony.

The organisation also raises money from the staging of a number of events. Meanwhile, Dr Lawrence is warning delinquent beneficiaries to regularise their accounts or face court action.

“The collection (of mortgage payments) has not been very good and because we are a Christian organisation they think that we won’t take them to Court. but we are really going to do that,” the HFHJ national director stressed.